Items tagged with pixel
If you're looking for a great [and aging] flagship Android smartphone, B&H Photo is currently running a pretty good deal on the original Google Pixel. The Pixel launched in late 2016 and brought with it a sleek new design direction for Google's first-party smartphones and introduced us to Google's spectacular camera system. Right now, you can grab the 32GB variant for $329.99, while the 128GB variant rings in just $399. Both of those prices include free expedited shipping and you'll only pay tax if you live in the state New York. While these smartphones no longer feature bleeding...
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The wearables market might not be exactly booming right now, but regardless growth is expected in the segment. Apple is currently leading with its Apple Watch. However, Google is aiming to take the wearables fight directly to Apple, and hinted back in May that it could be rolling out a Pixel Wearable running its Android Wear OS to directly combat Apple. We have some detail on what to expect from Google for its forthcoming wearable and at the heart of the smartwatches will be a Qualcomm chip. Qualcomm chips haven't exactly been confirmed, but there were strong hints from Qualcomm's Pankaj...
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A new class action lawsuit was filed this week against Google by owners of the original Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claim that the microphone in the original Pixel devices was defective from the start. The suit alleges that Google knew about the defect and continued to sell the devices anyway. The complaint implies that Google knew of the microphone defect from launch due to widespread complaints. Another allegation in the lawsuit is that some of the smartphones were replaced under warranty due to the mic issues, but the replacement devices suffered from the...
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Four months after announcing a $1.1 billion agreement to acquire most of HTC's phone division, and specifically the company's Pixel division, Google today announced that it has officially finalized the deal. The team that is now a part of Google is the same one that Google work with in developing its newest flagship phones, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, as well as its previous generation Pixel handsets. "I’m delighted that we’ve officially closed our deal with HTC, and are welcoming an incredibly talented team to work on even better and more innovative products in the years to come. These...
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One of the distinguishing features of Google's Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL flagship Android Oreo smartphones compared to their predecessors is the inclusion of Portrait Mode. Portrait Mode allows the main cameras on the Pixel 2 family to produce a synthetic shallow depth effect in photos with a single camera lens, whereas most competitors use a dual-camera setup to achieve the same results. "For shallow depth-of-field, synthetic defocusing is not the same as real optical defocusing, but the visual effect is similar enough to achieve the same goal, of directing your attention towards the main subject,"...
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Estimating your available battery life on your Pixel smartphone is getting a lot smarter. A New York-based Google product manager just revealed that the company has made changes to the way that that Pixel devices determine how much battery life is remaining once you unplug from the wall. According to Google, Pixel smartphones previously used rigid assumptions to calculate how much battery life was remaining at any given time. "If you’ve used about 10% per hour over the past few hours, we would guess you will keep using 10% per hour," wrote Michelle. "As you might expect, this wasn’t...
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Google has been designing and building premium Android smartphones for many years, co-branding with various hardware partners since back in the days of the company's Nexus devices. More recently with its first generation Pixel series, the Mountain View team has taken more prominent ownership of the brand, with devices specifically underscored as "Made By Google." And indeed the design signatures of the first generation Pixel and Pixel XL were distinctly different from any other handset on the market, as are the latest Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL that Google is launching today, along with a redesigned...
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One the primary benefits to owning a Google-branded phone is that new versions of Android are made available immediately, as opposed to waiting for a third-party manufacturer to customize and qualify the code. Unfortunately for some owners of Google's first generation Pixel phones, this perk turned into sideways with the release of Android 8.0 Oreo, which seems to have busted the ability to receive text messages. This has been an issue for affected users for nearly a month, dating back to September 20 when a frustrated Pixel XL owner on Verizon complained of the "absurd issue." The user went on...
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Are you a little too anxious for the upcoming launch of Google's highly anticipated Pixel 2? If so, or you simply love the idea of getting an early look at how Google setup Oreo on its new flagship smartphones, we think we have a new weekend project for you. But don't fret, this one couldn't get much easier. As long as you own an Android phone, at least. In fact we set it up ourselves in just a few minutes. Google's upcoming Pixel 2 XL Android Flagship Smartphone In advance of next week's Pixel 2 launch, an APK of the same launcher used for both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL has hit the Web....
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News broke Wednesday morning that HTC had suspended trading ahead of a major business announcement, and now we're learning the details of this blockbuster move. While Google is definitely the other party in this new venture, it's not exactly the arrangement that was rumored earlier this month. Google announced that it will give HTC a $1.1 billion cash infusion in exchange for some key members of the company's smartphone team. According to Google, many of these HTC employees have already gotten a taste of the “Googler” life as they have been involved in the development of its flagship Pixel family...
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We've seen plenty of leaks regarding the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL over the past few months, but this might be the most fruitful of them all. We have what are claimed to be images of both new flagship Android Oreo devices. According to Droid-Life, the Pixel 2 XL (not Pixel XL 2 as it has previously been referenced), will be available in two different color options. The first is black, while the second is primarily white, with a black glass panel on the upper backplate. Overall, the design of the smartphone adheres very closely to what we saw with the Pixel and Pixel XL. This time around, however,...
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Hurricane Harvey decimated the Houston, Texas area with many people losing everything they own. It is still a true disaster area and many people are still wading through flooded areas. Google wants to do its part to help those hurricane victims using its Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones to communicate regularly with loved ones and emergency assistance if needed. Google has announced that it will be offering free repairs of Pixel and Pixel XL devices that were damaged by flood waters for owners in the Houston area. Google is working with uBreakiFix to repair the devices; this is the same company that...
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Android 7.x Nougat was first made available nearly a year ago; August 22nd 2016 to be exact. Since that time, we’ve seen a slew of new smartphone ranging from budget devices to mid-range models, to chest-thumbing flagships like the Galaxy S8 and LG G6. However, despite the fact that Android is the most popular operating system on the planet, the number of devices running the most recent publicly available version is relatively small. Google recently updated its developer portal, which indicates that Android Nougat is installed on just 13.5 percent of all devices. At this point, the most popular...
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Patience is not only a virtue, it is also a good tool for saving money. Consider this—if you waited all this time to finally decide to buy a Pixel or Pixel XL handset from Google, you will be rewarded for your patience with up to a $200 discount from the original price. Not bad, right? Google will even toss in a free Daydream View VR headset. Both the discount and free VR headset offer is part of Google's Back to School promotion.The biggest discount ($200) applies to the Pixel XL. Originally priced at $769, it can now be bought from Google starting at $569 for the 32GB model, and $669 for the...
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